Variable-pitch gripping device



June 1965 E. J. M. DARDAINE I I 3,186,751

VARIABLE-PITCH GRIPPING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1963 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR E DGAR JEAN Nam-e1. Dnnonl/vs Z/JTTORZ VS June 1, 1965 E J- M. DARDAINE VARIABLE-PITCH GRIPPING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1963 Hull ..L s 60 INV ENTOP foe/1R JEAN MARCEL DARDAINE BY June 1, 1965 E. J. M. DARDAINE 33 3 VARIABLE-PITCH GRIPPING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 //v VEN TOR E DGIJR JEAN MARcEL Dmonms QR S no EK flTTOR Y5 United States Patent 3,136,751 VARIABLE-PITCH GRHPHJG DEVICE Edgar Jean Marcel Dardaine, Poissy, France, assignor to E. I. Remy & (Tie, Poissy, France, a French body corporate Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,846 Claims priority, application France, Mar. 20, 1962, $91,566; Mar. 8, 1963, 927,232 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 294-3726) This invention is concerned with gripping devices and has specific reference to improvements in gripping device designed for use in automatic handling installations, the essential object of the present invention consisting in providing an improved gripping device of this character which is adapted to grip articles such as bottles or the like with a view to deposit them into crates, for example of the compartment or cell type, or to remove them therefrom, this device being of the type comprising a plurality of gripping heads disposed in parallel rows and movably mounted on a common frame structure.

In most bottle-handling and like automatic installations the bottles or like containers delivered by the conveyor and ready to be encased are brought under the gripping devices in contact with one another. As a rule, they are to be deposited in crates or cases provided with cells or compartments distributed according to any convenient disposal and separated from one another by partitions having a certain thickness. Therefore, in order properly to engage the bottles or like containers into the cells or compartments intended therefor the former must be somewhat spaced from one another before introducing them into the latter, so that their relative spacing corresponds exactly to that of the cells or compartments.

It is the essential object of this invention to provide a gripping device meeting this requirement.

The gripping device according to this invention is remarkable, notably in that each row of gripping heads is carried by a cross member adapted to slide in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis on said frame structure, r

said cross members being driven in said direction by a mechanism preferably of the automatic control type whereby the actuation of said mechanism will cause the relative spacing between the rows of gripping heads to vary from a value corresponding to the diameter of the bottles to another value corresponding to the pitch of the cells or like compartments formed in said crates or cases.

Thus, the increase in the relative spacing of the bottles or like articles, up to the value of said cell or compartment spacing, is obtained through purely mechanical means becoming operative after the bottles have been gripped by the gripping member.

According to a specific feature characterizing this invention, the aforesaid control mechanism consists essentially of a rotary cam or like member disposed preferably centrally of the frame structure and connected through a linkage or like system to at least some of said cross members.

According to another feature inherent to this invention the aforesaid driving mechanism is adapted to set the relative spacing of said cross members to a value differing or not from one pair of adjacent cross members to another adjacent pair of adjacent cross members.

The gripping device of this invention is effective irrespective of the crate configuration and the cell or cornpartment distribution in the crate. It is applicable to installations using crates or cases provided with a central handle, that is, crates wherein the cells or compartments are not disposed at a regular relative spacing in the longitudinal direction of the crate.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sec-tion showing a typical form of embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken upon the line II--II of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view from above showing an alternate embodiment of the device of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken upon the line 1VIV of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is another section taken upon the line V-V of FIGURE 3.

In the form of embodiment of the invention which is shown by way of example in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, the gripping device comprises a frame structure designated generally by the reference numeral 1, this frame structure carrying for example twelve gripping heads 2a, 2'0, 2"a; 2b, Z'b, 2"b; 2c, 2'0, 2"c; 2d, Z'd, 2"d, arranged to constitute four rows of three heads each. These heads of the known deformable-diaphragm type in the example illustrated are controlled by means of a movable plate 3 driven in turn by a control member 4 of known type. The lower portion of the frame structure 1 carries a pair of rods or like members 5, 5' for example of tubular configuration, on which shoes o'a; 6b, 6'1); 60, 6'0; 6d, 6'd are mounted, these shoes carrying in turn cross members 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d on which the aforesaid gripping heads Za, 2'a, 2"a; 2b, 2b, 2"b; 2c, 2c,'

2"c; 2d, Z'd, 2"d, are mounted.

The central portion of the frame structure carries on the other hand a fixed spindle 8 on which a cam 19 is rotatably mounted by means of a bearing 9, this cam being solid with a pair of diametrally opposed arms 11a, 1112 having each at their outer ends bent extensions 12a, 12b projecting laterally from the frame structure.

The outermost cross members 7a and 7d are connected to the abovedescribed rotating assembly by means of a pair of links 1 a, 13b having one end pivoted on the arms 11a, 11b by means of pivot pins or like members 14a, 14b, and the other end provided with an integral collar or like member 15a, 15b fitting in smooth frictional contact on the intermediate gripping head 2'a, 2'd of each outermost cross member 701, 7d.

Each outermost cross member 711, is connected to the adjacent cross member 7b, 7c through connecting members consisting for example of lugs or like elements 16a, lei); rm, l'b. These lugs have one end secured on said outermost cross member 7a or 7d and their other end provided with elongated holes 17a, 17b; 17'a, 17b engaged by pins or like elements 18a, 18b; lsa, 18'!) rigid with the inner cross members 7b and 70. These inner cross members 7b, 70 may advantageously comprise stop members 19a, 19b; I 9'a, l9b adapted to coact with said lugs.

In this arrangement it is clear that when cam 10 is rotatably driven for example in the direction of the arrow F1 the links 13a, 13b cause the outermost cross members 7a, 7d to slide in the direction of the arrows F! and Ffl, that is, toward the centre of the frame structure. During the initial portion of this movement only cross members 7a and 7d slide and when the lugs 16a, etc. engage the stop members 19a, etc. they carry along the inner cross members 711, 7c engaging or substantially engaging each other. Then the gripping member is in its closed position, that is, the lateral relative spacing between two adjacent gripping heads is at its minimum value and correspondsto :thediameter ofthe bottles or like articles to be handled. If. on the other hand it is desired to move the gripping heads away from one another, the cam 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow F1, whereby cross members7a and 7dmove in the direction of the arrows F2, .F2 and carry alongin turn theinner cross members 7b; 7b.

This cam 10' is rotatably driven by meansof the aforesaid bent lever-like extensions 12a, 12b of arms 11a, 1111. To this end the arrangement comprises fixed stop. means (notshown) suitably located in the vicinity of the path of the gripping member, so thatwhen the extensions 12a,

12b engage these stop means they rotatethecam 10. If desired, in the case of fixed gripping members, movable stop members inlieu of the aforesaid fixed stop means may be provided for driving these extensions. Of course,

the lever extensions 12a, 1212 may also be actuated manually if necessary.

The relative spacing between the cross members may be varied at will by providing for example on each arma' plurality of pivot points disposed at different radii from the axis of rotation of the cam. On the other hand, thelengthof the lugs may also bevaried at will, as well as the length of the elongated holes formed at the inner ends oftheselugs, and the relative spacing-between said :lugs and said stopv members.

handling requirements.

In the modified form of embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 3 to 5 ofthe drawings, the gripping member comprises a frame structure consisting of a pair of .rails or like members 21; 22 having their ends interconnected by cross members 23, 24. The gripping devices proper consist of this exampleof separate gripping heads 25 of the known deformable diaphragm type, carried by parallel cross members mounted on the aforesaidrails 21 and 22.. The central cross member consists of a simple rectangular plate 26 rigid with and secured to the underface of rails 21and 22, and theother cross members 27, 28,. 29-.and 30 all of same dimensions are disposed on either side of said central cross member 26 and slidably mounted on the aforesaid rails .21 and 22. Ofcourse, each cross member 26, 27, 28, 29 and 39 carries a plurality of gripping heads 25, but for the sake of clarity in FIGURE 3 these gripping heads are shown only on cross member 27. Each sliding cross member consists of a pair of identical-rectangular plates disposed the one above and the other below the rails 21 and 22, these'plates being interconnected by distance-pieces or bracing members secured at their ends andacting like guide shoes. FIG- URE 5 shows the cross member 30 consisting of a pair of rectangular plates 30a .and 30b of same dimensions and interconnected by shoes SLengaging the outer edges of rails 21 and 22.

An upper support 32 is secured on rails 21,22 by means of intermediate. members 33. Between this support 32 and the fixed cross member 26 a rotary cam 34 is mounted on a spindle 35 adapted to be rotatably driven fromany suitable driving device (not shown). Cam 34 is connected 'to cross members 27, 28 on the onehand and to cross members 29, 39 on the other hand by means of links 36, 37 and 38, 39. These links are connected to the sliding cross members 27, 28, 29 and 39by means of pivot pins or like members 40, 41, 42 and 43 respectively, so as to be rotatable on these-pins, and to cam 34 by meansof similar pins 44, 45, 46 and 47,'on which these links are also rotatable. The pivot pins 44, 45,

Finally, any number of cross members, above-four, may be. provided tosuit different 46 and 47 are disposed on a same diameter of cam 34, pivot pins 44 and 47 are disposed on a same circle of greater radius than that of the circle receiving the pins 45 and 46, in order to ensure proportional displacements of the cross members. During their movements the sliding cross members remain parallel to themselves due to the provision of the aforesaid guide shoes at their ends.

It is clear that when spindle 35is'r0tated about its axis it carries along'the cam-34 tending to move simultaneously all the sliding cross members toward or away from the stationary cross member and therefore to vary the pitch of the gripping heads, that is, the relative spacing of two adjacent cross members, while maintaining all the relative spacings to a same value dueto the pivot pins disposal on said cam.

The spindle 35 may be rotatablyv driven for example by means of an automatic device ofany suitable and known type.

If desired, the cam may be provided with levers, arms or like means 43, 4-9 permitting the manual actuation of the device.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred-embodiments, it is to be understoodthat modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention, as those skilled in'the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purviewof the invention and appended claims;

What I claim is:

1. A gripping device adapted to grip bottles and the like forlowering them into crates having separatecells formed therein and forextracting said bottles therefrom, comprising a' frame structure, a plurality of cross members carried by said frame structure and adapted to slide in a direction normal to their longitudinal-axes, a plurality-of gripping heads secured to said cross members and disposed in parallel rows, a rotary cam disposed centrally of said frame structure, and a pluralityof link members connecting said rotary-cam individually to each: of said cross members, said link members being; so arranged that rotation of said cam causes the relative spacing between said gripping heads to vary from a value corresponding to the diameter of the-bottles to another value corresponding to the spacing between said cell's,-said link members being connected adjacent one end thereof tosaid rotary cam and adjacent theopposite end'thereof' to a central point on said cross members, said link members being'connected to said cam'at points alonga single diameter thereof and at distances fromthe center of rotationof said cam corresponding. to the distancesof' said cross members from said cam, so that the: sliding movements of said cross members are proportional? to their respective distances from said cam.

2.-'A-=gripping device according .to claim *1 including an actuating lever. integral with said cam for manual rotation thereof.

References Cited 'bythe Examiner UNITED .STATES' PATENTS 2,642,307 6/53 Olson 294--87 X 2,748,966 6/56 Gohrke 214731 2,897,988 8/59 Enock et al 214309 2,903,290 9/59 Morris et al 214309 *X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Examiner. 

1. A GRIPPING DEVICE ADAPTED TO GRIP BOTTLES AND THE LIKE FOR LOWERING THEM INTO CRATES HAVING SEPARATE CELLS FORMED THEREIN AND FOR EXTRACTING SAID BOTTLES THEREFROM, COMPRISING A FRAME STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF CROSS MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND ADAPTED TO SLIDE IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES, A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING HEADS SECURED TO SAID CROSS MEMBERS AND, DISPOSED IN PARALLEL ROWS, A ROTARY CAM DISPOSED CENTRALLY OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, AND A PLURALITY OF LINK MEMBERS CONNECTING SAID ROTARY CAM INDIVIDUALLY TO EACH OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS, SAID LINK MEMBRS BEING SO ARRANGED THAT ROTATION OF SAID CAM CAUSES THE RELATIVE SPACING BETWEEN SAID GRIPPING HEADS TO VARY FROM A VALUE CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMETER OF THE BOTTLES TO ANOTHER VALUE CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID CELLS, SAID LINK MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID ROTARY CAM AND ADAJCENT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF TO A CENTRAL POINT ON SAID CROSS MEMBERS SAID LINK MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CAM AT POINTS ALONG A SINGLE DIAMETER THEREOF AND AT DISTANCES FROM THE CENTER OF ROTATION OF SAID CAM CORRESPONDING TO THE DISTANCES OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS FROM SAID CAM, SO THAT THE SLIDING MOVEMENTS OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS ARE PROPORTIONAL TO THEIR RESPECTIVES DISTANCES FROM SAID CAM. 